It appears David O’Sheal (b. 1690) married into the Conner family of Ireland who settled in the Colony of Virginia.

My conclusion is based on several factors:

(1) Lewis Conner, Sr. (d. 1698),was a wealthy ship builder and merchant who was responsible for the transportation of goods between the colonies and the British Isles as well as islands in the Caribbean and the Virgin Islands.  Lewis Conner also engaged in slave trading.

David O’Sheal’s was an attorney and merchant who no doubt engaged in business ventures that involved shipping goods to England and more than likely he utilized ships owned by the Conner family.

David O’Sheal’s father, John O’Sheal, who lived in London, was a merchant tailor who manufactured and sold clothing and military uniforms made from wool.  More than likely, David O’Sheal owned  sheep on his numerous acres in Virginia and North Carolina. The wool sheared from the sheep was sent back to England.

Of further interest to the historian…After a period of time, England did not want wool sent from the colonies.  It became a crime to accept the wool during the mid 18th century.  England’s rejection of the wool and the Stamp Act were but two reasons which led to the American Revolution.

(2)  Lewis Conner, Jr. was granted 90 Acres in 1704 on Loosing Swamp (Nansemond County) which later became part of North Carolina.  This same 90 acres was transferred in 1720 to John O’Sheal, the oldest son of David O’Sheal.

(3) It is possible Lewis Conner, Jr. was the father-in-law of David O’Sheal because the same 90 Acres granted to Lewis Conner may have been purchased by him in 1704 as a gift for his daughter, who may have been born that same year. Therefore, the wife of David O’Sheal was around the age of sixteen or seventeen when she gave birth to her oldest son, John O’Sheal.

(4) There is also a possibility David O’Sheal’s wife was the daughter of Lewis Conner, Sr.  In 1698, Lewis Conner Sr. left a will which does not contain the names of all his children. His will was torn in places and is not easy to read.  Lewis Conner, Sr. did name a daughter, Maria Theresa/Teresa.

David O’Sheal and his wife, named a daughter, Teresa/Theresa/Maria Theresa O’Sheal, who married Rev. John Agnew.

FURTHER ANALYSIS SHOWS THE FOLLOWING:

One researcher stated David O’Sheal, Sr.  married one Elizabeth Maria Pugh.  No documents found to date can substantiate this myth.  There is no proof that David O’Sheal’s, the immigrant, wife was named Elizabeth.

26 January 1756,  Daniel O’Sheal of Granville County, NC, sold three slaves–a Negro man Shockoe and girls Diana and Moll–and one saddle to Thomas Fisher of Suffolk County, Virginia. Witnesses:  ELIZABETH O’SHEAL, APSLEY COUPLAND, AND REV. JOHN AGNEW.  (Apsley O’Sheal Coupland (daughter of David O’Sheal, Sr.);  Rev. John Agnew, the husband of Teresa O’Sheal and daughter of David O’Sheal, Sr.; Elizabeth O’Sheal, the widow of David O’Sheal, Jr.)

This transaction is the only legal transaction found which shows the name ELIZABETH O’Sheal in connection with the O’SHEAL family between 1714–1756.

Last year I located the 1756, inventory of the estate of David O’Sheal, Jr.

David O’Sheal, Jr., died either late in 1755 or early in 1756.   ELIZABETH O’SHEAL who witnessed the legal transaction cited above, was the widow of David O’Sheal, Jr.   It appears Daniel O’Sheal participated in the selling of his brother’s slaves and personal property on behalf of David O’Sheal’s widow, ELIZABETH O’SHEAL.

2 March 1756, Daniel O’Sheal granted land and livestock to Elizabeth Walker, his daughter.  This land appears to have been land Daniel O’Sheal acquired from the estate of his brother, David O’Sheal, Jr. and his wife, ELIZABETH O’SHEAL.  It is unknown whether Daniel O’Sheal purchased this land from his brother’s estate or attained it by way of some other means.  However, whatever the method, it seems quite clear Daniel O’Sheal intended to protect this property by granting it to his young daughter.

MORE O’SHEAL CONNECTIONS TO THE CONNER FAMILY:

Source:  A Hidden Phase of American History: Ireland’s Part in America’s Struggle for Liberty, written by Michael J. O’Brien, copyright 1919

“John Conner became Attorney General for North Carolina in 1730, and his successor in office

was David O’Sheal” (page 361).

Myth # 2:  Jethro O’Sheals’ wife was NOT Sarah.  No documentation has surfaced proving this claim.

Myth # 3:  James Hewitt did NOT marry the daughter of Jethro O’Sheal. No documentation has surfaced proving this error.

Myth #4:  James Hewitt DID NOT preach at the funeral of Jethro O’Sheal.  James Hewitt moved to Georgia before 1845.  Jethro O’Sheal died in December 1846.

Myth #5:  John A. O’Sheal was NOT the nephew of Elizabeth Hewitt.

Myth #6:  Lucretia O’Sheal was NOT the wife of John O’Sheal.

Myth #7:  Pearl Parton Donehoo Waterfield did NOT leave boxes of old papers documenting the history of the O’Sheal family. She may have left some papers, but no one has ever viewed any important documents that were said to have come from this woman.

Myth #8:  Pearl Parton Donehoo Waterfield did NOT receive a 3,000 plus word letter documenting the history of the O’Sheal family.  Any reference to this has NEVER been proven. No original copies exist.

Myth #9:   One Daniel O’Sheal was the brother of Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison and NOT Elizabeth Hewitt. (This Daniel was the son of Jethro O’Sheal.)

Myth #10:  Elizabeth Hewitt did NOT have the middle name, APSLEY

Myth # 11:  Some claim to have written an O’Sheal Record prior to 2003, this never happened. My research was used  by a person(s) who has no conscience and lacks moral standards of decency.

The ONLY Documented History of the O’Sheal family during Colonial times in this country was published by me in 2003.   My cousin and I researched, wrote, and published OSHEAL-CHUMLEY.   Any person who claims to have published the Colonial American O’Sheal family history prior to my book is not telling the truth.  Very few details were known about the O’Sheals in this country before my cousin and I completed the O’Sheal research.  We traced David O’Sheal to his parents in London, England.  From this point, we found more documents detailing members of the O’Sheal family as well as some family members who were loyal to King George III during the time of the American Revolution.  Much of this information can be found on this website.

No family letters or memoirs or diaries or word of mouth information were passed down through the O’Sheal family in America. The declaration of such has proven to be simply concocted tales of fiction.

The court cases of David O’Sheal were researched, compiled, and written by J.V. Michael Motes. Michael did a great deal of research and writing on the origin of the O’Sheal name.  This information have been placed on message boards and claimed as the research of others.  These individuals lack integrity and should be shunned.

A now deceased friend and cousin, Lonnie O’Shields, researched and wrote about the descendants of Daniel O’Sheal, one of the sons of David O’Sheal.  Lonnie’s book documented many descendants; however, his book did not detail the Colonial History of the O’Sheal family.  Lonnie’s book is a great guide for those looking to find their O’Sheal connection.

If anyone wants further information about my 2003 book, feel free to email me, and I will give you all the details relating to any person masquerading as the official historian for the O’Sheal family.  This person frequents genealogy websites with exaggerated tales while hoping to gain the reputation of a “Real” genealogist.  This person simply copies from others.  This person solicits information from others and then, uses the information as his/her research.

Myth # 12:  Mitochondrial DNA tests have NOT been conducted showing Theresa O’Sheal as the mother of any female or male O’Sheal descendants.   Any ridiculous story about Theresa O’Sheal is to be dismissed as pure hogwash!!!

Myth # 13:  No documents exist proving Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison was the daughter of Theresa O’Sheal, and the male line ancestors of Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison cannot be proven through DNA research.  Mitochondrial DNA tests through Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison’s female line have NOT been conducted.  All claims to this are to be dismissed as rubbish!!!

Myth # 14:  Elizabeth O’Sheal Hewitt did NOT write or dictate her memoirs in 1866.  Some researchers believe the 1870 census which records Elizabeth Cox in the household of Cassey Hewitt Cox and her husband, John Cox was actually Elizabeth Hewitt, the mother of Cassey Hewitt Cox.  If this Elizabeth Hewitt was the same female age 84 living with Cassey Hewitt Cox and John Cox, the 1870 census record reports this Elizabeth Hewitt could neither read nor write.  In regard to the husband of Elizabeth O’Sheal Hewitt, James Hewitt.  James Hewitt was listed as Blacksmith in the 1850 census and Farm Laborer in the 1860 census records.  There does not appear to be a record of James Hewitt as a minister. ( However, two ministers did live near the Hewitt and Cox families.   They were William Fleming and Abraham Chastain.)  James Hewitt who was named in the Minutes of the Friendship Baptist Church in the Spartanburg/Union Counies area of South Carolina does not appear to have been the same James Hewitt who moved to Gordon County, Georgia.  There were at least three men named James Hewitt in the Spartanburg/Union Counties area in South Carolina.

Abraham Chastain was the most renowned Baptist minister in Gordon County, Georgia, during the period of time when James Hewitt inhabited Gordon County, Georgia.  Abraham Chastain performed the marriage ceremonies for some of James Hewitt’s children.  IF JAMES HEWITT WAS A BAPTIST MINISTER, HE WOULD HAVE PERFORMED THE MARRIAGE CEREMONIES FOR HIS OWN CHILDREN!!

SOURCE: Publication: M804; Pension number–S 18144–Jethro O’Shields or O’Sheal

Calhoun, Georgia, October 12, 1855,

L. P. Waldo, Esq.

“Sir, I desire some information in relation to what time Jethro O’Sheal of Spartanburg District, South Carolina drew his last pension or in other words at what time he made his last draw from the pension office.  The SAID Jethro O’Sheal was a Revolutionary soldier and died in the year 1846, about the last of end of that year. There was some time before he died that he did not draw at all, therefore there is coming to his HEIRS you will please give me some information concerning the amount that there is coming to SAID O’Sheal from the time he made his last draw up to December 1846, you will much oblige.    Yours very truly, John A. O’Sheal”

The line of descent from Jethro OSheal to John A. O’Sheal:

JETHRO OSHEAL had a daughter, ELIZABETH.

ELIZABETH OSHEAL married TYREE HARRISON in Spartanburg, SC.

ELIZABETH OSHEAL and TYREE HARRISON had a daughter, Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE HARRISON married JOHN O’SHEAL and had a son, John A.  (Charlotte Harrison and John O’Sheal were cousins.)

Their son, JOHN A. O’SHEAL was the same person who mailed the letter to L.P. Waldo 12 October 1855.

JOHN A. OSHEAL was the great-grandson of JETHRO OSHEAL through JETHRO OSHEAL’S daughter, ELIZABETH OSHEAL who married
TYREE HARRISON.

One researcher reported the name, Sarah or Sara was written into the letter by John A. O’Sheal.  My research shows this is not true.  I have quoted the entire letter from John A. O’Sheal, and the name–Sara–does not appear.  The researcher who reported the name Sara was incorrect with his conclusion.  The researcher substituted the word–SAID–for the name, SARA.

I wish now to add one more reason Sarah O’Shields named in the Minutes of Friendship Baptist was NOTt the wife of Jethro O’Shields, who was born between 1761-1762.  In 1841, Jethro was about 80 years of age.  If this Sarah O’Shields was the ONLY woman who married Jethro O’Shields, this would mean she was at least 70 years of age in  1841.    IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY A WOMAN OF 70 YEARS PLUS would have left her 80 year old husband, especially in the years 1841-1842, Spartanburg, South Carolina, when life for most was a daily struggle, and most women were worn out by the age of fifty.

According to one family researcher, Jethro O’Shields and his wife, Sarah, had a daughter, Elizabeth, and this Elizabeth married James Hewitt.  This researcher has stated  Jethro married only one time to Sarah, but NOW that same researcher is trying to retract that statement by saying he couldn’t rule out the possibility that Jethro’s first wife was NOT named Sarah.  In that case the Sarah he claims was the mother of Elizabeth, he is now claiming was NOT the mother of Elizabeth.  He can’t have it both ways.   AGAIN, if Sarah O’Shields in the Minutes of Friendship Baptist Church was really the wife of Jethro and the mother of Elizabeth, this Sarah had to have been 70 years of age.  If she was not the wife of Jethro and mother of Elizabeth, then this person can no longer say Jethro O’Shields married Sarah, and they had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married James Hewitt.

The records show Elizabeth, the wife of James Hewitt, was born sometime between 1790-1793.  Her mother would had to have been born no later than 1774. By 1841, Elizabeth’s mother would had to have been near 70 years of age, just as I stated.  Therefore, back to my conclusion.  Sarah O’Shields, 1841-1842, recorded in the Minutes of the Friendship Baptist Church was not the wife of Jethro O’Shields.  She was the wife of Henry O’Shields.   Henry reported his wife, Sarah, left him and was NOT reporting HIS OWN MOTHER HAD DESERTED HIS FATHER.  The very notion is beyond comprehension.   Henry O’Shields and his wife, Sarah, moved from South Carolina to Texas.   It is possible this couple moved to Texas as a result of their family problems.  I doubt we will ever know.

It appears that common sense is no longer alive and well in this country.  Anyone who can be talked into believing a 70 year old woman in 1841 left her husband and reportedly for no good reason…Well, what can I say.   Since Nancy Pelosi can get away with calling the CIA liars, nothing should surprise me.

To those of you who have been fed lies and believed these lies about our O’Sheal family:  You have been duped by someone who has worked to destroy my research, especially the Colonial research of the O’Sheal family.  I find lies have been placed on the internet continuing to say someone else  is the author of the O’Sheal research.   This person is full of hatred and anger for me.  In October 2003, this person stole my book and send it to a lady in SC and said my book belonged to him/her.  My attorney sent a “cease and desist” letter to this person.  After receiving the letter,  this person’s anger and rage increased to a point of constant harassment of me on genealogy boards on the internet; telling lies about me on the internet and in phone calls; lies about my research and my cousin’s research on the internet and phone calls; CALLING my former employer and saying I stole his/her book.

This same person claims to have written the Colonial History of the O’Sheal family.  This lie is as convoluted and absurd as the stumbling, bumbling, arrogant words spewed from the mouth of Nancy Pelosi.  The truth remains I published the O’Sheal Colonial History of David O’Sheal in 2003.

Sometime in 1766, Daniel O’Sheal, his wife, and five children removed from Granville County, North Carolina to St. George Parish, in the colony of Georgia.
After hours of research in the Georgia Archives, along with a veteran archivist of twenty-five years experience, we found that Daniel O’Sheal was never granted land in Georgia.  Daniel requested two land grants (300 acres and 200 acres); however, he did not take possession of the land but did live on the property.
The O’Sheal family was living in what is now Jenkins County, Georgia, not far from the town of Millen, on the Ogeechee River at Buckhead Creek, near the site of the Old Buckhead Church and the stage coach stop at “The Jones House,” which was built in 1762.

Daniel O’Sheal and his family lived about 50 miles from Augusta, Georgia, and 79 miles from Savannah, Georgia. It is highly probable the O’Sheal family reached St. George Parish by way of ship that sailed into the Port of Savannah. From Savannah, the O’Sheal family would travel the black water Ogeechee River to their destination.

Daniel O’Sheal was named in the Inventory and Appraisal papers in the Estate of  James Anderson, 20 February 1769, St. George Parish, Colony of Georgia.

(James Anderson was a cabinetmaker and carpenter, who originally settled in Christ Church Parish, Savannah, Colony of Georgia.)
TO BE CONTINUED…
Researched and written by Connie Chumley Stringer
Copyright 2003-2009

Copyright 2006

During the winter, spring, and summer of 2003, my cousin, J.V. Michael Motes, and I researched, compiled, and published the Colonial history of the O’Sheal family.  J.V. Michael Motes compiled the law cases of David O’Sheal, who was an attorney in Virginia and North Carolina.   One of those cases from the O’Sheal book:

“in the said Court was brought by Sir Richd. Everard against Mr. David O’Sheal on a Bond Entered into at Edenton as security for the Faithfull Discharge of a Naval Office…And the said David was fined 50 pounds, and immediately by the Judges order drag’d away to the common Goal in a very rough manner which was broke open on the occasion and with the Judges assistance the said David was thrust into it and another Lock ut on, and he lockt up and kept ’till weary of so Noisome a place the Gentleman was compelled to pay the money to be discharged compelled to pay the money to be discharged which the judge also received himself” (p. 24, O’Sheal and Chumley, 2003; This case was copied from the Colonial Records of North Carolina.)

After publishing the 2003 book, I continued my research into the O’Sheal family.  In 2006, while researching in the Emory University Library, Atlanta, Georgia, I uncovered O’Sheal family news (previously unknown to anyone in our family) concerning Benjamin O’Sheal and David O’Sheal.  A short, fantastic book, Whaling on the North Carolina Coast, 1990, written and published by Marcus B. Simpson, Jr. and Sallie W. Simpson, revealed what was long forgotten by the descendants of David O’Sheal and partially described in one record from the Colonial Records of North Carolina which my cousin quoted and included in the O’Sheal book of 2003, on page 24.

According to (Simpson and Simpson), in 1723, Governor Richard Everard of the Provence of North Carolina, was granted by the proprietors “the power and Liberty of Fishing and takeing (sic) all sorts of Whales” on the Northern coast of what is now the state of North Carolina. (p.12)

Simpson and Simpson (1990) gave a full account of serious theft committed by David O’Sheal’s brother, Benjamin O’sheal:

“Everard requested that the Court of Vice-Admiralty issue a warrant for the arrest of David O’Sheal, originally from Virginia but then practicing law in the North Carolina courts.  David O’Sheal had induced Everard to appoint his brother Ben O’Sheal as naval officer in charge of Port Beaufort in November, 1728, in which capacity he was empowered to “receive the Tenths of Whale Oyl  & Bone Catched  on the Sea Coast of the Said Port.”  During his appointment, Ben O’Sheal had reportedly collected eighty barrels of oil and half a ton of bone, a total value of 500 pound sterling; but after converting the duty to his own use, he fled to Gambia.  David O’Sheal was arrested and ordered to pay the amount owed by his brother, for whom he had earlier posted a bond.”  (Simpson and Simpson cited Vice-Admiralty Papers, CCR 191,  Court Order for David O’Sheal, 3 August 1730.)